Christy Barritt - Squeaky Clean 04 - Dirty Deeds by Christy Barritt

know? Was his friend so desperate for money that he’d abducted a pal’s girlfriend? What had he told Clint as his excuse for being here?
    The even bigger question for me, at the moment, was whether or not I should share the information. Clint had asked us not to get involved. If I admitted I’d seen the video, there would be no denying that I’d done some research. If I didn’t admit to my involvement, Jackie might be killed.
    I sighed, the weight of the decision pressing on me. I would wait until Clint dropped off the money today, I decided. I’d see if Jackie was returned safe and sound. Then I’d figure out the best plan of action.
    I attempted to look casual as I lounged in an upright chair in the lobby. I tried not to pace or twist my fingers or mumble aloud. I tried not to show any evidence that I’d been anything but a concerned citizen as I’d asked questions and looked at videotapes today. Definitely not nosy. I wasn’t sticking or following or nearly getting killed.
    Not yet, at least.
    The original plan was for Riley and his friends to play golf this afternoon. That meant that I was supposed to play golf this afternoon as well. The closest I’d ever come to a golf course was playing putt-putt down at the beach, and I hadn’t even enjoyed that.
    Every time I thought about being on the green, I frowned. Was there ever a more wretched sport? I was not looking forward to going and chasing after some ball. I’d much rather be chasing a bad guy.
    But now that Jackie was missing, I wondered how the gang’s plan would change. Certainly they couldn’t go out and have fun while their friend was abducted. They would be voted the most insensitive group of classmates ever if they did.
    “Riley told me to tell you that he should be here any minute.”
    I looked up and saw Lillian. From what I’d observed so far, the woman was my polar opposite. I was emotional and excitable and passionate. She was logical, thought-out, and non-emotive. She wore a navy blue power suit. Last night, she’d worn a white one.
    “Great,” I mumbled. “Thanks for letting me know.”
    She paused by my chair. “Terrible about Jackie, isn’t it?”
    “I heard you were best friends.”
    She nodded. “Were. I mean, don’t get me wrong. We’re still friends. But you do lose touch with people after a while, you know? We emailed on occasion, but I haven’t seen her since graduation.”
    “What do you think of her boyfriend?”
    Lillian turned her nose up. “She could do better. But Jackie always surprised us.”
    “How?”
    “You know, I think she hated to do what was expected of her. Her mom put a lot of pressure on her. So Jackie was kind of sneaky. She’d take these weekend trips without telling anyone. She got a job as a waitress just for the fun of it. She got a tattoo somewhere it’ll never see the light of day. Just small acts of rebellion.”
    “What’s her story? Where’s Jackie’s dad?”
    “Her parents divorced when Jackie was young. Her dad was considerably older than her mom, and he had a heart attack and died when Jackie was only eight. Mrs. Harrington never remarried. She was too afraid someone would be after her money and find some way to scam the prenuptial agreement. According to Jackie, she’s always had ‘man friends’ who wanted to marry her. Mrs. Harrington will never go for it, though.”
    “All because of money?”
    Lillian nodded. “Their money all comes from her side of the family, and her reputation is very important to her. Mrs. Harrington won’t let anyone make her look like a fool again.”
    I let the new information sink in. I had no more questions at the moment, not until I swallowed what I’d just learned. Instead, I strayed to a more neutral subject. “I heard you were a divorce lawyer?”
    She sneered. “It’s the reason I’ll never get married. Relationships just get so ugly. All of them.”
    Not all of them, I wanted to argue.
    She snickered. “I know that look. You think